Description
Examination of cytological samples from the respiratory tract or lung parenchyma forms a large proportion of the diagnostic cytology workload in many laboratories. The majority of requests are concerned with the diagnosis of lung cancer but a substantial minority involve identification of infective or inflammatory conditions and benign tumours. This article aims to highlight the diagnostic features of the commoner types of lung tumour and the pitfalls encountered in exfoliative and fine needle aspiration [FNA] cytology. A brief account of the findings in some inflammatory conditions and benign lesions is included.
